While lighting is practical, ambient lighting enhances a home’s aesthetic appeal. Task and accent lights serve specific functions, but multiple, well-placed sources create a glow that softly illuminates the whole room.
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Known as general lighting, ambient lighting "sets the room’s mood and provides broad illumination," says Kathryn Linea Rund, strategic design and development advisor at Real Estate Bees. It includes ceiling and wall-mounted fixtures, recessed lights, and soffit or valance lighting, all designed to reflect light softly across walls and ceilings.
"This lighting approach highlights architectural features, artwork, and decor without overpowering the senses," Rund explains. "It adds to a room's aesthetic by creating a stylish, cohesive look."
Benefits of Adding Ambient Lighting
Ashley Yeates, founder of AYI & Associates, a sustainable design firm in Monterey Peninsula, enjoys incorporating ambient lighting into new construction by “tucking it into the architecture.” She prefers trimless lights and integrates discreet fixtures into spaces like vanity kick plates and coves, even using LED lights behind plaster walls.
Yeates sees lighting as the “jewelry” of a home and recommends warm white bulbs, ideally 2700K, for a soft ambiance. Cooler bulbs, like those over 3500K, are more suitable for task lighting.
Ambient lighting isn't limited to interiors. Yeates’ own yard features a soft glow along the patio, fire pit, and deck edges to create a gentle atmosphere rather than harsh illumination, which she reserves for motion-sensor lights.
How to Add Ambient Lighting to Your Home
"Ambient lighting provides soft, even illumination, reducing shadows and eye strain," says Joel Worthington, president of Mr. Electric. It can be achieved affordably, with options like floor lamps, pendant lights, string lights, or LED strip lights. LEDs are energy-efficient, and dimmer switches are an easy upgrade to existing fixtures.
Yeates emphasizes, “Put a dimmer on everything.” Dimmer switches, including remote-controlled options, can be added to most walls, especially if your home has easy access to wiring.
For DIY projects, strip or string lights are easy to install, but Worthington advises leaving hard-wiring to professionals, as it requires code compliance.
Ambient lighting can be simple or intricate, depending on the room. Rather than relying on a single light source, layering various types can bring depth to the space. “Layering eliminates harsh shadows and gives a balanced feel, making spaces feel more dynamic and engaging,” says Rund.
Yeates describes ideal ambient lighting as subtle. “If you’re in a room with a glow rather than visible light sources, that’s perfect lighting.”
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